Policies For Real Time Captionists

These policies are intended to assist the Office for Disability Services (ODS), its service providers and registered students in the orderly and efficient operation of providing captioning services.

Professional and Ethical Conduct

The Captionist(s) will:

1 - Provide an in-class text display for students supported by ODS. In addition, transcripts (generated from the text display) will be made available in a reasonable time frame to students who attended class.

2 - Make every effort to type spoken information word-for-word. At times (during fast speech), the captionist will need to summarize information, but she/he will type as much of the important information as possible.

3 - Begin typing upon the arrival of the supported student(s). Any announcements made by the instructor before the student(s) arrive will not be typed.

4 - Recognize the students as adults. Captionists must be sensitive to the students' needs, including the need for independence.

5 - Captionists will maintain a professional association with faculty, staff, and students.Captionists are expected to be impartial in the performance of their work. Captionists will not counsel, advise, or interject personal opinions before, during, or following a captioning assignment.

a) promptly report any breaches in ethical conduct or infractions, andb) promptly report if impartiality may be called into question for a given work assignment.

The captionist will contact ODS to discuss any concerns. Concerns may include, but are not limited to communication problems, difficulty meeting the student's needs, student's habitual inattentiveness, tardiness, absence, and any problem the Interpreter is unable to resolve by talking to the student and/or instructor.

ODS will notify instructors prior to the first day of each semester that a deaf or hard-of-hearing student will be enrolled in their class and will outline the procedures for communications and accommodations.

The Captionist should introduce her/himself to the instructor and briefly describe their role in the classroom with regard to seating, potential concerns, etc.

Captionist FeesCaptionist's fees will be negotiated individually and approved through ODS.

Professional AttireCaptionists will dress in a University-appropriate, professional manner.

Scheduling Work AssignmentsCaptionist's work schedules are determined by the business and operational needs of the Office for Disability Services and will be made by ODS staff. In the event that these needs change, it may be necessary to adjust work schedules to ensure adequate staffing and coverage. When this occurs, as much notice as is practical will be given.

Commencement and Duration of Assignments Captionists are expected to arrive at least fifteen minutes before the beginning of each captioning assignment to arrange proper seating, make appropriate introductions, and take care of any other logistical arrangements. Captionists are expected to remain throughout the duration of the scheduled assignment.

ODS must approve all requests for captioning services outside of the classroom when ODS will be billed for the services.

As tests are announced, captionists should verify with the professor and student to see if and how long they will be needed.

For final exams, all services are per request only. If the student would like a captionist for a final exam, the student must contact ODS two weeks in advance.

Cancellations In the event of a student cancellation:

if cancellation is made by the student 24 hours prior to class time, the captionist will be notified accordingly and will not be reimbursed for services.

if cancellation is not made by the student within 24 hours prior to class time, the captionist will be reimbursed for the normal fee established between ODS and the captionist.

In the event either party wishes to terminate the agreement, a two-week notification must be provided.

Waiting Period for No-Shows The captionist is expected to wait for the student at the assignment as follows:

15 minutes for a class which is up to one hour in duration

20 minutes for any class over an hour in length.

After the designated waiting period ends, the captionist should promptly notify ODS of the no-show.

Attendance The captionist is responsible for notifying ODS of an absence due to illness or other unexpected reasons as soon as possible before the scheduled work period.

If the captionist fails to notify ODS of delays or absences three times within one semester, ODS retains the right to terminate the contract.

If an assignment extends beyond the authorized length of time, the time discrepancy must be reported to ODS promptly upon the completion of the assignment.

Assignment Preparation Assignment preparation is desirable and at times necessary to enhance the presentation of information. A captionist may, on a case-by-case basis, be reimbursed for time outside of the classroom for dictionary building and other activities involved in the preparation for courses. Authorization of paid assignment preparation must occur in advance.

In the interest of fairness to all students and to encourage class attendance, neither diskettes nor hard copies are to be provided to any other student.

The captionist will not provide students with any notes or transcriptions if the student does not attend the scheduled class time.

Problem Resolution Captionists are expected to immediately report to ODS any concerns and/or problems that arise during the assignment to ODS.

Random Observations Random observations of captionists will take place at various times throughout the semester. Observations may or may not be announced in advance. The captionist may be requested to provide ODS with an unedited text copy of the class.